• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.29-40
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• 2008

Objectives : It has been reported that Sophorae Subprostratae Radix (SSR) has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia in animals. In the present study, the authors investigated the neuroprotective effect of SSR on glutamate excitotoxicity. Glutamate excitotoxicity was induced by using NMDA, AMPA, and KA in PC12 cells and in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. Methods :Methanolic extract of SSR was added at 0.5, 5, and 50 ${\mu}$g/ml to culture media for 24 hours. The effects of SSR were evaluated by measuring of cell viability, PI-stained neuronal cell death, TUNEL-positive cells, and MAP-2 immunoreactivity. Results : SSR increased PC12 cell viabilities significantly against AMPA-induced excitotoxicity, but not against NMDA-induced or KA-induced excitotoxicity. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by NMDA-induced excitotoxicity, SSR attenuated neuronal cell death significantly in the CA1, CA3, and DG hippocampal regions and reduced TUNEL-positive cells significantly in CA1 and DG regions. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by AMPA-induced excitotoxicity, SSR attenuated neuronal cell death and reduced TUNEL-positive cell numbers significantly in the CA1 and DG regions. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by KA-induced excitotoxicity, SSR attenuated neuronal cell death significantly in CA3, but did not reduce TUNEL-positive cell numbers in CA1, CA3 or DG. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by NMDA-induced excitotoxicity, SSR attenuated pyramidal neuron neurite retraction and degeneration in CA1. Conclusions : These results suggest that the neuroprotective effects of SSR are related to antagonistic effects on the NMDA and AMPA receptors of neuronal cells damaged by excitotoxicity and ischemia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Sophorae radix pharmacopuncture(SRP) therapy on the Chunchu($ST_{25}$) on intestinal disease in rats with dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced colitis. Methods : The experimental model of colitis was induced by an infection of DSS for fifteen days. After colitis was induced, SRP therapy was practiced on the Chunchu($ST_{25}$) once every three days for a total of five times. Afterward, colon length, damage to the colonic mucosa, complete blood count, aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine transferase(ALT), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 were measured. Results : The results were obtained as below. 1. Colon length was significantly increased in the SRP group 2 compared to the control group. 2. Damage of colonic mucosa was observed less in the SRP groups than in the other groups. 3. The mean rates of white blood cell(WBC), neutrophils and lymphocytes were significantly increased in SRP group 2 compared to the control group. 4. The mean rates of HGB and hematocrit(HCT) were significantly increased in the SRP compared to the control group. 5. No significant differences were shown in AST, ALT, BUN and Creatinine between the SRP groups and the control group. 6. The mean rate of TNF-${\alpha}$ was significantly decreased in the SRP groups compared to the control group. 7. The mean of IL-6 was significantly decreased in the SRP groups compared to the control group. Conclusions : These results indicated that SRP therapy on Chunchu($ST_{25}$) functions as a treatment to the dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.96-101
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• 2006

Phytoestrogens have been used as a food supplement to prevent osteoporosis. The isoflavones in the phytoestrogens are daidzein, genistein and formononetin which are present in various herbs. This study examined the quantity of isoflavones in medicinal herbs, which can be used as a phytoestrogen supplement; soybean. These isoflavones were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV/VIS detector. The concentration of daidzein in Puerariae Radix was $10,436.16{\pm}2,143.83\;mg/kg$ of the dried herb, which was much higher than that extracted from soybeans, $341.47{\pm}18.96\;mg/kg$. The amount of genistein in Sophorae flavescentis Radix ($336.09{\pm}50.89mg/kg$) was approximately 11 times higher than that extracted from soybean ($30.03{\pm}7.17mg/kg$). The level of formononetin in Dalbergiae odoriferae Lignum, $2,189.14{\pm}136.46mg/kg$, was the highest among the herbs tested. The total isoflavone content of Puerariae Radix was approximately 30 times higher than that extracted from soybean. Therefore, plants from the family Leguminosae, particularly Puerariae Radix, can be a good source of phytoestrogens.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2000

This study was carried out to screen herbs among herbal plants showing antimicrobial activity against some food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. One hundred fifteen kinds of herbal plants were extracted by 70% ethanol, and then they have been screened for antimicroorganisms. Six herbal plants such as Salviae radix, Dryopteris rhizoma, Terminaliae fructus, Araliae radix, Psoraleae fructus and Schisandrae fructus showed strong antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis. Antimicrobial activities were showed in Anemarrhena radix and Dryopteris rhizoma on Candida albicans, and in Anemarrhenae radix, Dryopteris rhizoma and Polygalae radix on Schizosaccharomyces sp. It was revealed that eight herbal plants such as Dryopteris rhizoma, Salviae radix, Sappan ligunum, Sinomeniae radix, Schisandrae fructus, Rhui fructus, Sophorae radix and Inulae radix also showed antimicrobial activities on Streptococcus mutans. In addition, Anemarrhena radix, Curcuma tuber, Inulae radix, Polygonum radix, Sanguisorbae radix, Scutellariae radix and Terminaliae fructus and showed antimicrobial activities on Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Four kinds of herbal plants such as Dropteris rhizoma, Salviae radix, Terminaliae fructus and Scutellariae radix which showed broad antimicrobial spectrums were mixed by 1 : 1 ratio with the other herbal paints showing relatively strong microbial activities such as Terminaliae fructus, Sinomeniae radix and Scutellariae radix etc. The extracts of mixed herbal paints showed higher antimicrobial activities than those of single herbal plant.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.230-239
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• 1988

Thirty kinds of medicinal plants were screened to examine inhibitory activities on rat brain monoamine oxidase A, using serotonin as a substrate. As active principles, various kinds of stilbenes were isolated from Veratri Rhizoma, Reynoutriae Radix and Rhei undulati Rhizoma, and several kinds of flavonoids from Sophorae Flos, Chrisanthemi Flos and Glycine max. Among the compounds isolated, resveratrol(I) strongly inhibited MAO-A competitively, and its $IC_{50}$ and Ki values were 2 ${\mu}M$ and 2.5 ${\mu}M$, respectively. Inhibitory potencies towards MAO-A of some stilbenes and flavonoids were also compared.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2001

Atopic dermatitis is frequently encountered in the Dermatology clinic and the treatments are very various but the effects are not good enough. Especially in case of infants, taking herb med or acupuncture treatments are difficult so we would like to treat the atopic dermatitis using external therapy. We chose the oriental medicine textbooks and the oriental medicine journals that external therapy was used and divided into Yugobub(油膏法), Buchubbub(敷貼法), Sechukbub(洗滌法). The results were as follows: 1. In the frequency of medicine was Coptidis Rhizoma(黃連), Phellodendri Cortex(黃栢), Sophorae Radix(苦蔘), Cnidii Fructus(蛇床子), Allumen(枯礬) etc. 2. The effects of medicine were Chungyul(淸熱), Haedok(解毒), Zosub(燥濕), salchung(殺蟲), Gupung(祛風), Jiyang(止痒) etc.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.313-317
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• 1997

Twenty seven plant extracts were selected on the basis of ancient literature search for rheurnatoid arthritis or similar syndrome. Methanol extract of each plant was prepared and administered orally to rats everyday at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day. Experimental arthritis was induced by subplantar injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum to right hind paw of rats. This treatment provoked swelling of the treated paw in two phases, acute primary swelling and secondary arthritic swelling. An inhibition of secondary swelling was considered to be antiarthritic activity. Several plant methanol extracts such as Akebia quinata (caulis), Ephedla sinica (herba) and 5ophorae subprostratd (radix) were found to show significant inhibitory activity against secondary swelling at the dose tested. Our results strongly suggested an antiarthritic potential of these plant extracts.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2000

Leukotriene $B_4\;(LTB_4)$ is a pro-inflammatory mediator synthesized in myeloid cells from arachidonic acid. Elevated levels of $LTB_4$ have been found in a number of inflammatory diseases and levels are related to disease activity in some of these. Because $LTB_4$ interacts with cells through specific cell surface receptors, $LTB_4$ receptor blockade is the most specific approach to reduce the pathogenic role of $LTB_4$. In order to find $LTB_4$ receptor antagonist from plants, we screened the $LTB_4$ receptor antagonistic activity of the methanol extract and solvent fractions of herbal drugs. The ability of samples to inhibit specific binding of $[^3H]-LTB_4$ to human peripheral neutrophils was used as assay to evaluate the antagonistic activity of plant materials. Among the tested methanol extracts of herbal drugs, Mori Radicis Cortex, Perillae Semen, Armeniacae Semen and Sophorae subprostratae Radix showed potent inhibitory activity above 70% at the concentration of $100\;{mu}g/ml$. The inhibitory activities of $LTB_4$ binding to human neutrophils were evaluated for several solvent fractions at three different concentrations. Especially, hexane soluble fractions of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Embeliae Radix, and ethyl acetate soluble fractions of Aristolochiae Fructus, Magnoliae Cortex and Zingiberis Rhizoma crudus showed moderate activity at $25\;{mu}g/ml$. These fractions were promising candidates for the study of the activity-guided chromatographic purification of active compounds. Silica gel column chromatography of hexane soluble fractions of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Embeliae Radix gave very active sub-fractions, AA-4 and ES-4, and their inhibition activities of $LTB_4$ binding to human neutrophil at $30\;{mu}g/ml$ were 78% and 62%, respectively. From these results we could anticipate new $LTB_4$ receptor antagonist from herbal drugs, and the block of $LTB_4$ effects may provide beneficial in neutrophil mediated diseases such as inflammation and bronchial asthma.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Azadirachta Indica extract(AIE) and Sophorae radix extract(SRE) are widely used as environment-friendly organic materials of plant origin in South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, the in vitro micronucleus(vitMN) tests of two samples of AIE and SRE were conducted to evaluate their genotoxicity using the Chinese hamster lung(CHL) cell. This study was composed of two parts; cytochalasin B(cyto B) test and non-cyto B test. Mitomycin C and colchicine were used as positive controls. As a result, the incidence of micronucleus(MN) in all AIE and SRE treated groups increased in dose-dependent manner, but were less than 2.2% in 1,000 binucleated cells. In addition, there were no significant increases of MN incidence in all AIE and SRE treated groups, compared with the negative control group. CONCLUSION: Therefore, we suggest that AIE samples and SRE samples used in this study may have no genotoxicity in the in vitro micronucleus test using the CHL cells. In our previous study, we reported that AIE and SRE did not cause genotoxicity in Ames test. According to the genotoxicity battery system, we concluded that AIE and SRE used in this study have no genotoxic effects to humans.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.215-219
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated effects of Monegy (mixture of Sophorae Radix, Panax ginseng, Salvia miltiorrhiza BUNGE) on epilate-induced hair-loss in dorsal region of C57/BL6 mice and external structure of human hair. For morphological and histological analysis in scalp of epilate-induced hair-loss animal model, we utilized several microscopic techniques, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and LAS 4000. Confocal analysis showed the distribution of FITC-conjugated Monegy and penetration depth compared with normal and control group. Furthermore, when Monegy was topically administrated onto a C57BL6 mouse, it penetrated very well. The fluorescence intensity was increased upto 205 and 113 folds compared to normal and control group, respectively. Also, area of fluorescence was increased to upto 255 to 127 folds compared to normal and control group. Broad scale area of fluorescence in dermis region was observed in the Monegy-treated mice. Furthermore, Monegy induced upto 75% hair repair against depilation. It might be promoted via the induction of growth factors in hair follicle.